Can I Leave the State on Bail?
Posting bail allows you to resume regular activity without spending more time in jail. The terms of your bail determine whether or not you’re allowed to leave your home, state, or country. Woodard Bonding Company can provide an experienced bail bondsman to guide you through the bailing process.
Leaving the State While Out on Bond
You can leave the state on bail only if you have written consent from the court and your bail bondsman. The terms of your bail depend on the crime you’re accused of, bail amount, court, and bondsman. Courts and bondsmen can place travel conditions on your bail. Some bails include a house arrest and an electronic monitoring condition. A house arrest means you can’t leave home except for work and approved errands like a visit to the doctor.
An electronic monitoring condition involves wearing a device with a global positioning monitoring system, GPS. The GPS monitors your location to make sure you’re within the radius preset by the monitoring office. Going out of state with the device will result in signal loss and violating the electronic monitoring condition. Woodard Bonding Company can help you understand the implications of travel restrictions in your bond.
Determining Restrictions in Your Bond
If you plan to leave the state after getting released on a bond, talk to your criminal defense lawyer. Your defense attorney can review the terms of your bond and help explain to the judge why you need to leave the state. Courts can lift travel restrictions to allow you to attend a funeral, go to work, or fulfill other familial responsibilities.
Speak also with your bondsman at Woodard Bonding Company before traveling. Your agent can include travel restrictions if the bail amount is enormous. The bondsman pays the full bail amount, providing surety that you’ll attend all court proceedings. If you leave the state and miss court proceedings, the bondsman loses the money paid to secure your freedom. The bondsman will let you know if someone can lift the travel restrictions in your bonding terms.
Valid Reasons for Leaving the State
Courts and bonding companies can lift travel restrictions if you have a valid reason to leave the state. Common reasons for getting travel consent while out on bail include family, work, business, and health-related plans. Family reasons include attending the funeral or wedding of an immediate family member, such as a parent, child, or sibling. Work and business reasons include scheduled concerts, events, and presentations that require you to leave the state.
Health-related reasons include medical emergencies or scheduled procedures with doctors in another state. Seek the court’s express permission to leave the state legally. You may have to wear a monitoring device to prevent you from visiting places other than where you received consent. Once the judge lifts your restrictions, you can speak to your bonding company about granting travel consent. Raise the same reasons with the court and the bonding company.
Find A Bail Bondsman Today
An arrest can disrupt your life and the lives of those around you, which is why you need a bail bondsman. At Woodard Bonding Company, we provide surety bail bond services for the general public in Sumner County and the surrounding areas. Contact us today to learn more about our bonding services and how we can help you regain freedom after an arrest.